Contact Information

Cottonwood Heights City

City Council Corner

In 2008, our city engineer had a great idea on how to make traveling along Fort Union Blvd (and other arterials in the city – Union Park, 1300 East, Highland Drive) a lot more efficient. The goal was to reduce local emissions and improve air quality by getting people to where they need to be more quickly and effectively through and around our major intersections.

As I have worked in my position over the past five months at Cottonwood Heights, I have been impressed with the efforts of our elected officials, city staff, volunteers and partnering organizations in making our community a great place to live and work. It has prompted me to reflect on all that is being accomplished daily and how local government is at work for the residents of Cottonwood Heights.

Over the years, as a member of the City Council and since becoming Mayor, my appreciation for our Cottonwood Heights’ firefighter/paramedics has continued to grow as I’ve become even more aware of their efforts as they serve our citizens.

As a council member, I can say unequivocally that everyone who calls, emails or, in particular, speaks before the council absolutely makes a difference in how council members think, in our priorities and, ultimately, how our city is run.

As we come to the end of another year, it is with pride and pleasure that we can celebrate the many accomplishments of our great city’s departments and employees. As a Council, we couldn’t be prouder of the incredible team that runs the daily operations of our city.

Up for vote are state legislative seats, County Council representation, and ballot initiatives. All these have varying degrees of direct impact on our daily lives – much more so than Washington. Local races where public service tends to be the candidates’ motivation, rather than politics, are the most critical to our community’s success.

Most of us know good people who are struggling with a family member in the grips of addiction. It is a heart-wrenching issue. Illegal drug use claims casualties across all social, economic and religious groups, and it affects communities of all sizes.

The City incorporated to create a sense of community pride, maintain local control and deliver services such as fire, police, public works and planning. As we strive to provide the best service possible, property owners in Cottonwood Heights recently received information that the city is proposing a property tax increase.

As we celebrate with family and friends, let’s remember the men and women who have made it possible for us to enjoy freedoms, such as the ability for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — freedoms that many countries of the world do not enjoy and unfortunately probably never will.

Speaking for both myself and the rest of the council and the city staff as a whole, the few weeks following the budget’s tentative passage have strengthened our resolve to do better as we move forward. It is a path that I’m confident we can forge, due in large part to our city’s incredibly involved citizenry.

I envision the development of more parks and trails and protecting our limited amount of open space. It will require strategic planning in every area, and collaborations with many and varied stakeholders.

Nobody likes driving through or around roadwork, yet nobody likes driving on old roads that desperately need repair either. It's a classic catch-22 and is at the core of one of the most basic responsibilities a city has: keeping up the roads so everyone can get to where they want to go.

It is my goal to continue to work closely with the Council to add value to this great city and what’s already been accomplished, to look for opportunities to improve services to our constituents, and to carefully guide the growth of our young city in a way that protects and enhances the quality of life we all enjoy.

In a few weeks, my term of service as Mayor of Cottonwood Heights will come to an end. I want to express my appreciation to you, the citizens of Cottonwood Heights, for allowing me the honor to be your Mayor for the last 13 years. It has been a wonderful journey filled with excitement, achievement and challenge.

As City Manager, this election could change three of my five bosses for the next four years. If you were me, wouldn’t that concern you just a little bit? But seriously, what your local government does is really important and you should take a little bit of time to become familiar with your candidates for mayor and council, and above all, vote.

It has been my honor and privilege to have represented District 4 of Cottonwood Heights. I have tried to represent the majority opinion of my constituents, issue by issue, these past eight years. I have tried to listen and echo most your collective concerns at our meetings. Here are some results and a few things I have learned along the way.

We are so grateful for the teachers and administrators at Canyons School District. Schools are the heart of any community. We are proud of our five elementary schools and we believe the quality of education and facilities offered to our citizens by Canyons District is a big reason why our area is such a desirable place to be.

In 2013, Cottonwood Heights became one of the first Utah cities to go to a vote-by-mail system for our municipal election. The right (and duty) to vote is fundamental to our chosen form of governance. Ensuring the best opportunity to cast a ballot by every registered voter is essential.

Are we encouraging good men and women to pay the price of politics to participate in government? I fear that the way we talk about politics and politicians in this country discourages good men and women from being willing to direct the affairs of government by seeking elected office.

Only by knowing what is going on around us are we able to make certain that our communities are functioning as we want them to. Armed with information, we are also able to bring about change and improvement if we deem that necessary.

It has been my honor and privilege to represent District 4 of Cottonwood Heights for a good part of the past decade. As I enter the final year of my second term, I have decided not to seek re-election. My reasons for this decision are personal, and do not take away my feelings of appreciation and love for this great city we all call “home.”

As a city councilman, a father, and a grandfather, I applaud the efforts of our local police department for sincerely caring about our youth and being proactive in implementing the D.A.R.E. program. This program curriculum not only addresses drug abstinence, but also how to cope with violence, bullying, internet safety, and other high risk behaviors.

As I meet with other mayors from around the state of Utah, one of the things we all have in common is the growing demand on our limited resources to fund transportation and infrastructure needs in our communities. Of course, the specific needs vary widely from community to community. But the bottom line for all of us is the same: We have growing needs but a flat revenue source.

A couple months ago, the city conducted a community survey. I took a few minutes to review comments and suggestions that were made. As has been previously reported, the overall feeling in Cottonwood Heights is that the city is going in the right direction, with four times as many agreeing with that statement as those who disagreed.

We live in a time when we have serious disagreement all around us. We live in a country that has a wide variety of religious and cultural traditions. While there is much about the world that I fear, the thing that I fear the most is to live in a world without tolerance, mutual respect and love.

Whatever your holiday traditions, may you pause to enjoy this most unique time of year and celebrate with family and friends. From the Mayor, Council and city staff, we wish you a very Happy Holiday Season.

This Thanksgiving, I want to thank all of you, my neighbors, and the citizens of Cottonwood Heights. They say that who you “hang out” with defines you. Well, I feel very fortunate to have hung out with all of you these past 40 years. Thanks for being truly great neighbors.

For many victims, it can be very difficult to reach out for help. Victim advocates offer information, support, and helpful services. Victims are often relieved to know that agencies in their community want to make sure they are safe and can provide the help they need to recover from the impact of a crime.

Every August, Salt Lake County sends out tax notices to property owners in the county. As a result, I usually take this opportunity to address property taxes as they pertain to residents of Cottonwood Heights. I hope to educate and provide perspective relative to the property taxes you pay.

I want to thank all volunteers in the city, not just those that do things for the city. Coaches, teachers, mentors, senior citizen service providers, babysitters, helpful neighbors and litter-picker-uppers all contribute. Your efforts are appreciated, and make Cottonwood Heights a great place to live.

The city and the Cottonwood Heights Arts Council are beginning a project to solicit submissions from artists to transform what is currently a liability into a community asset. City officials recently approached Rocky Mountain Power with a unique proposal to allow artists to paint the bottom section of the large poles running down Fort Union.

After three years of working with a contractor to provide snow removal and public works services, the city council decided on April 12 to terminate that contract in favor of providing all public work services, including snow removal, using direct city employees. We are confident that bringing public works under local control will result in better outcomes and better cost control.

We have quality grocery stores, shops and restaurants, diverse housing choices, a wealth of career opportunities and access to some of the most beautiful recreation spots in the country located in our own backyard.

Residents of Cottonwood Heights have always prided themselves in being healthy and active. Our community offers wonderful opportunities from running to swimming and everything in between. But now, there’s a new game in town. It’s sweeping the country and has drawn thousands of people, young and old, off the couch and has given them the opportunity to become more active in a social environment.

Caucus meetings are the grassroots level of political involvement and the very spirit of self-government. Regrettably, these meetings are often poorly attended. Caucus meetings are the simplest way to exercise your rights to be involved in the democratic process.

For the last few months, I’ve made it a weekly practice to visit the new city hall construction site to observe the progress being made and to learn in detail all that goes into a construction project of this size. It’s been very interesting to see how things change, and how my perception of things changes as I’ve watched the construction progress.

The holiday season is upon us. Thanksgiving recently gave us an opportunity to ponder our blessings and to take stock of the people and events in our lives for which we should express gratitude. I am grateful to live in this city we all call home. I am grateful for wonderful citizens who care about our community and work hard to make this the best city in the state.

Shortly after Cottonwood Heights became a city a little more than ten years ago, I realized the overwhelming importance of volunteerism in shaping and defining the city’s values. I’ve seen it even more clearly during the last four years while I’ve served as a city councilman. It’s not just those who support and volunteer in various capacities directly related to the city that make such an impact, but also the thousands who volunteer throughout the community. Unpaid volunteers are said to be the glue that binds a community together, and I believe it’s true.

One of the most important duties we perform as elected officials is to communicate with our constituency. We seek out the practical information as we perform research required to make informed decisions. Distilling and sharing all pertinent information is a significant task.

In June, the Cottonwood Heights City Council adopted the municipal budget for fiscal year 2015-16. This was the 12th city budget adopted since incorporation. For the first time, it was necessary to adopt a new revenue source to meet present and future budgetary demands. That new revenue source is a municipal energy tax.

Each January, as the Utah Senate and House of Representatives convene, they consider over 1,000 bills or potential new laws, many of which impact the government of our city. There are changes to water laws, annexation laws, record-keeping and reporting, health care laws and taxation, just to name a few.

By Mike Peterson - City Council Member The Historic Committee of our city is currently made up of nine dedicated members. Each month, they meet to gather and preserve information in order to provide future generations evidence and understanding of our city’s cultural foundation. Each generation must do its part to preserve and protect the local history.

By Mayor Kelvyn Cullimore Jr. At midnight on March 12, 2015, the Utah Legislature concluded their constitutionally-allowed 45 days in session. I had the opportunity to visit Capitol Hill many times and talk to the legislators who were elected by the citizens of Cottonwood Heights. Those who represent Cottonwood Heights in the House of Representatives are Marie Poulson, Robert Spendlove and Steve Eliason. In the Senate our city is represented by Dr. Brian Shiozawa and Wayne Niederhauser, who serves as the President of the Senate.

As many of you know, the city sponsors a Youth City Council (YCC) comprised of High School students in Cottonwood Heights. On January 28, the YCC participated in a "Day with the Legislature," sponsored by the Utah League of Cities and Towns. We met at City Hall early that morning and carpooled to the Capitol. Only one of the students looked like they’d only been up for five minutes.

As I meet with other mayors from around the state of Utah, one of the things we all have in common is the growing demand on our limited resources to fund transportation and infrastructure needs in our communities. Of course, the specific needs vary widely from community to community. But the bottom line for all of us is the same: we have growing needs being funded by a flat revenue source.

National and local news stories have created a very difficult environment for police officers. My friends in the law enforcement profession tell me that we may now be at a generational "low" in terms of the respect and civility that we show our officers. My experience with the police has been very different from the stereotypes they are so often painted with today.

At a recent meeting, someone mentioned Cottonwood Heights was a new city. I agreed that statement was relatively true, but when I commented the city was ten years old, everyone acted shocked as though it couldn’t be 10 years already. But indeed it has been. Cottonwood Heights has now been a city for a full decade.

The Internet and social media outlets such as Skype, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram are all great ways for older adults to stay connected with friends and family. A 2013 report released by Pew Internet Research Project, notes that 77% of those aged 50 to 60 are online and 54% of those 65 and older are online.

Early voting began in Salt Lake County on Tuesday, Oct. 21 at several locations, including the Cottonwood Heights City Offices. Voters can cast their ballots through voting machines at the polling station on the first floor at City Offices (1265 E. Fort Union Blvd.). They can also deliver their mail-in ballots to a drop box at the main office on the 2nd floor.

Summer 2014 is off to a hot—but wet—start, meaning there is a likelihood of serious fire danger as excess vegetation dries out. While you’re planning your summer holidays and celebrations, keep in mind that the city’s municipal code restricts the use of fireworks in or near designated “wildland interface” areas and public parks.

After soliciting letters of interest from residents and conducting thorough interviews of all the candidates, the Cottonwood Heights City Council has indicated they will appoint Mike Peterson to fill the vacant District Three city council seat. The position was left vacant after former Councilwoman Nicole Omer resigned the post in order to pursue an employment opportunity in Colorado. Peterson will take the oath of office at city council meeting on Oct. 11.

Three People You Should Know…Who Work For You By Councilmember Tee Tyler Cottonwood Heights is a great place to live; some would say it’s because of our unique location. Positioned between the amenities of a million or more people and the beauty and serenity of the most amazing mountain range in North America, we enjoy entertainment, restaurants, educational opportunities and outdoor recreational activities second to none. Cottonwood Heights enjoys a location that enriches any and all who call it home. But our city is more than a great spot on a map. Our community benefits every day from people who have offered constant contribution to the city. This month, I want to highlight three Cottonwood Heights employees who do so much for our government.